The Political Story Behind “Is This Love” by Bob Marley & The Wailers

Bob Marley sang about everything from the beauty of nature to hotbed political conflict. In December 1976, two days before a free concert called Smile Jamaica, Marley, his wife, and his manager were shot in his home. The incident was widely thought to be politically motivated, as the upcoming event was viewed as a rally to support Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley. Marley appeared at the concert in front of 80,000 fans before leaving the country for a month-long sojourn in The Bahamas at Island Records Founder Chris Blackwell’s Compass Point Studios.

Marley then spent over a year in England in self-imposed exile, recording Exodus and Kaya. He was convicted for possessing a small amount of cannabis. In 1978, Marley returned to his homeland of Jamaica to appear at another political concert, the One Love Peace Concert. Toward the end of the event, Marley requested the leaders of the warring parties appear on stage as a sign of peace. Manley and his rival Edward Seaga, the leader of the opposition Jamaica Labour Party, shook hands and posed for photos with Marley in the middle. It was a symbolic event, and Marley was the unifier. Let’s take a look at the story behind “Is This Love” by Bob Marley & The Wailers.

I want to love you and treat you right,
I want to love you every day and every night,
We’ll be together, with a roof right over our heads,
We’ll share the shelter of my single bed,
We’ll share the same room, yeah! For Jah provide the bread
Is this love, is this love, is this love,
Is this love that I’m feelin’?
Is this love, is this love, is this love,
Is this love that I’m feelin’?
I want to know, want to know, want to know now!
I got to know, got to know, got to know now!

Going Soft

After the political turmoil Marley and his band had been involved in, Kaya contained more songs about tamer subjects. Some critics accused him of “going soft.”

Island Records’ Blackwell said in the liner notes for Africa Unite: The Singles Collection: “‘Is This Love’ is a great song, and I was always very happy with Kaya, the album it came from. It had a very summery, carefree feel. When the album came out, several reviewers said he’d gone soft. But Bob was feeling great at that time, and those songs reflected how he was feeling.”

I, I’m willing and able,
So I throw my cards on your table!
I want to love you. I want to love and treat, love and treat you right,
I want to love you every day and every night,
We’ll be together, yeah! With a roof right over our heads,
We’ll share the shelter, yeah, oh now! of my single bed,
We’ll share the same room, yeah! For Jah provide the bread

Revolutionary Music

“We describe our music as a road to consciousness, you know? Regardless which label people might call it, we satisfied with any label, but we call it music, still, revolutionary music,” Marley told ABC Countdown in 1979.

When pressed about in what respect the music was revolutionary, Marley replied, “Revolutionary in our mind, I bring the reality of what has been hidden from the wise and the prudent to the babe and the suckling.”

Is this love, is this love, is this love,
Is this love that I’m feelin’
Is this love, is this love, is this love,
Is this love that I’m feelin’?
Whoa! Oh yes, I know, yes I know, yes I know now!
Oh yes, I know, yes I know, yes I know now!

Manley and Seaga

When Marley invited the leaders onstage at the One Love Peace Concert, he said, “Just let me tell you something (yeah), to make everything come true, we gotta be together. (Yeah, yeah, yeah) and through the spirit of the Most High, His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I, we’re inviting a few leading people of the slaves to shake hands. … To show the people that you love them right, to show the people that you gonna unite, show the people that you’re over bright, show the people that everything is all right. Watch, watch, watch what you’re doing because I wanna send a message right out there. I mean, I’m not so good at talking, but I hope you understand what I’m trying to say. Well, I’m trying to say, could we have, could we have, up here onstage here the presence of Mr. Michael Manley and Mr. Edward Seaga. I just want to shake hands and show the people that we’re gonna make it right. We’re gonna unite, we’re gonna make it right, we’ve got to unite. The moon is right over my head, and I give my love instead. The moon was right above my head, and I give my love instead.”

I, I’m willing and able,
So I throw my cards on your table!
See: I want to love ya, I want to love and treat ya,
love and treat ya right

Marley, the Rebel

Kaya is a very laid-back album without as much of the militant content featured in Marley’s earlier albums. Songs featured more spiritual themes about peace, love, and marijuana. The album’s release coincided with the One Love Peace Concert.

“I was dealing with rock music, which was really rebel music,” Blackwell told Exclaim! “I felt that would really be the way to break Jamaican music. But you needed someone who could be that image. When Bob walked in, he really was that image.”

I want to love you every day and every night,
We’ll be together with a roof right over our heads!
We’ll share the shelter of my single bed,
We’ll share the same room, yeah! Jah provide the bread.
We’ll share the shelter of my single bed

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Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images